Dettmer: Transport holiday food with confidence

Linda Dettmer, Logan County extension coordinator

Posted:
11/02/2012 04:27:03 PM MDT

Linda Dettmer

You've put a lot of work into baking a pie or a casserole for a party, and now you have to worry about packing it up and getting it there in one piece. Some foods -- mac and cheese, cookies --travel well. But others, such as pies with delicate crusts and hors d'oeuvres, can easily get smooshed or slide off a serving dish and onto a driveway. To make sure your potluck dishes arrive safely, try these wrapping tricks from expert Julie Carrion, executive chef at The Kitchen at Billings Forge in Hartford, Conn., and Cyd McDowell, a food stylist.

Sides and Salads: Even dishes that travel well, such as roasted or mashed veggies, need some TLC for transport. (Forget about salad greens, which can wilt, and boiled or steamed vegetables, which can suffer in reheating.) The key: Make sure to tape down pot lids. Blue painter's tape won't leave sticky stuff behind. And a drawer liner that grips can keep dishes from sliding around in your car.

Casseroles: For keeping heat in while you travel, you can try a couple of things. If you go to a lot of potluck events, consider buying an insulated casserole carrier; they run about $15 and up. You can also line a cooler with towels, tuck your dish in, and then place extra towels around it for insulation and to help keep it steady for the trip. Bonus: The towels can also sop up any spills if something leaks. Just keep the cooler closed to hold the heat inside. No cooler? Cradle the dish in towels and put it in a flat-bottomed box to avoid tipping.

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Another option is to use a slow cooker with a locking lid.

Pie: If you don't have a special carrier, cover it with a metal pie plate secured with aluminum foil. For a pie with a delicate crust, cover it with a bowl taped to a baking sheet to keep it from sliding.

Cupcakes: If you make them a lot, a cupcake carrier with a plastic lid is a great way to keep frosting from getting squished during a sharp turn or from plastic wrap. Bonus: A carrier can also do double duty as a dip-and-sauce transporter. If you don't have room to store one, invest in baking pans with snap-on lids. Or save clamshell containers from store-bought cupcakes to tote your own.

Cakes: Sheet cakes are the way to go; the flat shape and low center of gravity ensure safer transport. (layers -- and height in general -- are a recipe for disaster.) But if a solo layer won't do, try this trick: Dab a tablespoon of jam on a serving plate, then assemble the cake on top. That helps to keep it from sliding. And put long wooden skewers through the layers to keep them intact and prevent plastic wrap from smudging the frosting.

Deviled Eggs: Can't get those eggs to sit still? To steady them (and other wobbly food) during transit, layer three damp paper towels on a tray and place the eggs on top close together. Pack the tray in a cooler and keep it flat, not on the car's backseat, which tilts.

Veggies & Dip: To keep veggies in place on a car trip, use what the pros call a caterer's wrap. Instead of putting a sheet of plastic wrap over the dish, place the dish on top of the wrap, then twist the wrap as many times as you think necessary to hold everything down. Wrap the dip separately and arrange it on the platter at the party.